Football Throwback Jerseys

What are Football Throwback Jerseys?

Football throwback jerseys are jerseys worn by football players from a past era. They usually display old logos and previous color schemes from the famous eras of a team or the sport's history. They are used by players and the league to invoke nostalgia in fans, as well as provide more apparel for teams to sell.

Rules for Football Throwback Jerseys

At the professional level of the sport, the NFL allows teams to wear alternate jerseys, including throwback jerseys, three times a year. In the NFL, players are not allowed to wear uniforms only once due to helmets needing to be broken in. As a result, the league allows teams to wear uniforms multiple times a season in order to ensure player safety.

At the college level, there is less transparency with the rules. Many college programs have deals with sportswear companies that restrict the in-game use of throwback jerseys on a year by year basis. Instead, throwback jerseys are usually for fans to purchase from their college stores.

Famous Football Throwback Jerseys

There have been many famous throwback football jerseys. Some of the most prominent include:

The San Diego Chargers powder blue uniform is about as close as it gets to every sports fan agreeing with each other. The pretty color with the famous bolt across the shoulder makes many fans reminisce of nearly every Charger era since the 1960s.

The Rams will find it difficult to replicate the joy of watching Eric Dickerson run downhill at fearful opposing defenses. While his all-time season rushing record still hasn't been broken, equally iconic is the image of him doing it in the blue and yellow of these classic unis with the ram horn helmets.

Not all throwbacks are famous for a good reason and the obvious winner in that category is the infamous Tampa Bay Buccaneers creamsicle uniforms. A hideous light orange with a questionably suggestive logo made people think they're old television set needed recalibrating. Not something that will likely be rehashed any time soon.

Why Do Fans Want Throwback Jerseys?

For fans, throwback jerseys are items of clothing that show the depth of their fandom. Often they remind fans of bygone eras of more success (or less failure). They can also be useful links for generations of sports fans as gifts to parents or grandparents to help bridge generational gaps.

In the online era of shopping, buying throwback jerseys has never been easier. Many teams will sell old jerseys and countless websites, like Fanatics, sell throwback jerseys and other team gear.